Improvement in trusses



H. BECKER.

` Truss..v

N0. 167,8]8- v Patented Sept. 2, 1875.

Z?" ff 777071210774 Ny PETERS, PHDYO-LlTl-IOGEAPMER. WASHINGTON, u C.

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN BECKER, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPRQVEMENT iN TRu's's-Es.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 167,8 1S, dated September 21, 1875; application tiled August 2, 1875. I

'the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Hernial Trusses, ot' which the `following is a specification The object of my invention is to render the hernial pad readily adjustable on the body band or spring to fit accurately upon any rupture, whether the latter be either right or left, as will hereinafter be fully and clearly described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in whichv Figure l is a front view of the hernial pad adjusted to the body-band for the right-hand side of the person; Fig. 2 is a front view of the same hernial pad adjusted to the same body-band for the left-hand side of the person. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a somewhat enlarged iront view of the connecting end of the body-band, with a vertical section ofthe pad, (turned edge in i'ront,) showing the stem thereof; and Fig. 5, a horizontal longitudinal section of the pad end of the bodyband, with the attachments shown in Fig. 3, excepting the pad.

The padA I generally make of hard wood, and in the form of a longitudinal section of an egg, and secure its narrower end to the bodyband B by means of a stem,a, provided with a transversely and centrally fixed short cylinder, a, at its'lower end, both of which are let into the iiat side of the said pad and secured therein by a covering-plate, a, which has an oblong hole, 4, through which a portion of the perimeter of the cylinder a projects, so that the pad A can be rotated on the stem a', while the upper end of said stem projects above the pad Ain the form of a flat circular plate, 5, which is a little inclined toward the inner side of the band B, to which it is attached through the medium of a like circular plate, 6, which has a short cylinder, 7, and a stem, 8, (see Fig. 5,) whereby it is secured so that it can be easily rotated in the receiving end ci' a thick piece of metal, b,`which is riveted fast to the end of the body-band B. (See Figs. 3 and 5.) The circular plates 5 and 6 are pivoted together at their centers, and the plate 6 has a concentric CAsE G.

opening, 10, which is traversed by a headed screw-stem, l1, fixed perpendicularly in the plate 5, thus together forming a flat joint whereby the pad A can be swung in a semicircular manner and firmly secured so as to project at any required angle from either edge of the body-band, and thus adjust 4the same truss to suit either a right or left side rupture. The respective peripheries of the small cylinders a and 7 have each a series of ratchetteeth extending about half-way around the peripheries, and divided at midlength, so that one-halt' of each series will pitch or incline in opposite directions toward the two respective ends of said series. Pivoted to the plate a!" of the pad A there is a thin, at steel spring-lever, 12, of the first order, the weight-end of which has a roomy concentric opening which receives Within it that portion o f the periphery of the cylinder a which projects through the plate a'. The power end of the lever 12 has a iixed pin, 13, which projects downward into either one of two corresponding stay-holes, 14, in the plate a". These stay-holes are arranged so that either end edge of the opening whichreceives the projecting portion of the cylinder a" will be held thereby in connection with the ratchet-teeth oi' one half of the series, While the other half of said series is left free to move without contact with the opposite edge of said opening in the lever. It will be understood, therefore, that the pad A can be rotated and adj usted securely to it upon the rupture, whatever the extent of the rotary movement on its stem a may be, in either direction permitted by the special adjustment of the lever 12, as just described. The under or upward pressure of the said pad A is produced by means ofthe cylinder 7 on the stem 8, in connection with the thin, iat steel spring-lever 15, the periphery of said cylinder having ratchet-teeth constructed and arranged as the teeth in cylinder a", and held in adjustment by the spring-lever 15, which is constructed and operated in the same manner as the spring-lever 12, and the dat circular projecting ends 5 and 6 of the .stems a and 8 being pivoted together at their centers, as shown and described, it will be readily understood that the pad A can be readily adjusted so as to give an under or upward'pisrsure upon a rupture to any degree cdesired. Vnbrief, by means of the two described devices, the pad A can be adjusted with facility by the wearer to press in any direction upon the rupture that the peculiarity of the same mayat any time require, or the greater ease of the wearer may render desirable. It will also be seen that the same truss can be adjusted to fit any rupture at eitherthe right or left side of the person by simply swinging the pad A around from one side edge to thther' of the body-band B, andv then adjusting the spring-lever 15 into connection with the appropriate division of the ratchetteeth in the cylinder 7, as hereinbefore set forth. l This last-.named feature of my invention is of great importance tovthose who keep a stock of `trusses on hand for sale, because it adapts the same truss tol be applied and fitted for ,feither a right or left rupture, and consequently Ahalf the usual stock will be sufficient to meet the demand.

Having thus fullyand clearly described my improvement in body-trusses, l clailn asf my enabling the wearer of the truss to readily ad.-`

justand secure the position of the padA so as to Hbear against either the right or left side of the rupture or directly against the front of the same, as the wearer may desire, substantially as described. l l w.

HERMAN BECKER. a

Witnesses BENJ. MoRIsoN, WM H. MoRIsoN. 

